1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transportation safety devices and, more particularly, to an inflatable safety device for head and neck support.
2. Background of the Invention
During a high speed ejection, an aviator is exposed to the possibility of head and neck injuries due to several different conditions. For example, the aviator's head can be violently forced out of position by forces generated by windblast, drogue parachute inflation, ejection seat alignment with the wind stream, or recovery parachute inflation. In addition to injuries caused by these forces, the aviator's head being out of position could set the stage for further injury during the riser slap, which occurs when the main parachute risers deploy.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,296,204 and 6,422,513 (both issued to Lewis et al.) disclose inflatable systems for flight crew members. The '204 patent discloses a flight helmet that includes an inflatable unit. The '513 patent discloses a flight vest that includes an inflatable unit.